


Betrayal

by wenwalke



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Betrayal, Bromance, Complete, Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-26
Updated: 2016-05-04
Packaged: 2018-06-04 17:00:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 19,102
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6666820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wenwalke/pseuds/wenwalke
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Someone is out to have 5-0 disbanded. Steve thinks it’s his partner.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: This story is set in season one after episode eleven but before episode twelve. When I wrote this in March of 2015, I needed to get back to the bromance, still do, but even more now.  
> Disclaimer: I don’t own H50. The show and the characters belong to CBS. The plot and any original characters comes from my imagination.

The newspaper lay on Steve’s desk when he walked into his office. Right on the front page was an article that someone obviously wanted him to read. It was still early, and no one else had arrived yet, but he still drew his gun and cleared every office before returning to his own. Someone, who shouldn’t have been in the 5-0 offices, had left the paper, but whoever it was, was no longer present. Steve picked up the paper and walked behind his desk where he sat down and started reading the article.

**********

5-0, the Governor’s taskforce  
By Yandn Liawilms

The governor created the 5-0 taskforce some three months ago, but is it a good thing for Hawaii? Let’s look at a few facts shall we.

Commander Steve McGarrett, the leader of the taskforce, and an ex Navy SEAL.  
Detective Danny Williams, a New Jersey transplant, and decorated police veteran.  
Officer Chin Ho Kelly, an experience police officer.  
Officer Kono Kalakaua, a rookie police officer.

These four make up the taskforce, but they are not all that they seem on the surface. 

Officer Kalakaua had not even graduated from the academy when she was recruited onto the taskforce. With no experience, she could be considered a liability to the rest of the team, but then her cousin is Officer Chin Ho Kelly, so that makes it okay.

Officer Kelly may be experienced, but he is also a disgraced ex police officer accused of stealing money from the Police Asset Forfeiture Locker. He was once partnered with McGarrett’s father, so there’s history there. It doesn’t surprise me this man was picked over every other serving officer.

Detective Williams, while experienced, with an exemplary record in New Jersey, has no concept of how things work here in Hawaii. So why pick him?

Finally, Commander McGarrett who has no police experience at all, and has proven time and again that he doesn’t know how to follow proper police procedure, and probably never will. 

This reporter has learned about some of the things the taskforce has done since its inception. The governor gave the taskforce immunity, but Commander McGarrett has taken things way beyond that. Tomorrow I’ll tell you what the leader of this group of rogue cops has done, and gotten away with. Trust me when I say that you, like me, won’t be impressed.

**********

As Steve read the news article he quietly fumed to himself. Someone was out to smear his team, maybe even have them disbanded. Someone had talked to this reporter, and when he found out who he’d make sure they never work for the State of Hawaii again. Steve sighed. They really needed to get a hold of that follow-up article, before publication.

Danny, Chin, and Kono all entered the Five-0 offices together. Each laughing at a joke Kono had shared during their walk in from the parking lot. As they separated to head into their own offices, Steve walked out into the main office area, the newspaper still clutched in his hand.

“I need a word with you all, now.” It was more of a command than a request and Danny turned back with a frown.

“It’s way too early for you to be in such a bad mood, babe.” Danny said as he walked towards the center of the room, Chin, and Kono right behind him.

Steve slapped the newspaper down on the computer table in the middle of the room, “I guess none of you have read the Star Advertiser this morning then?” 

Danny reached forward and turned the paper so all three of them could read it at the same time. Steve watched each of their expressions as they read the article. All three seemed genuinely surprised and upset by what they read.

“Whoa?” Danny intoned.

“This can’t be good.” Kono added.

“Have you heard from the governor yet?” Chin asked just as Steve’s phone started to ring. 

“Speak of the devil,” Steve turned and headed back into his office to speak to the governor in private. 

The three teammates stood and watched as Steve paced around his office, no one spoke. The conversation appeared to be very one sided, but finally Steve put his phone away and ran his hands through his hair before he walked back out into the main office.

“Well?” Danny prompted.

“The governor wants us to find out who is feeding the reporter this information. But, we have to do it without storming into the newspaper offices and threatening everyone. Those were her words, not mine.” Steve picked up the paper and looked at the article again. “Kono, you go to the newspaper, see what you can find out. Also see if they’ll give you an advanced copy of tomorrow’s article.”

“Okay, boss, on my way.” Kono turned and left.

“Chin, you start looking into this reporter, Yandn Liawilms. I want you to find out everything you can about him or her.” Steve looked at Danny next. “You and I are going to go talk to Kamekona, see if he knows anything about this.” Steve waved the newspaper as he walked towards the doors.

Danny hurried to catch up with his partner, but didn’t say anything until they were seated in the Camaro. He’d been shocked, but not surprised by the article. It was only a matter of time before someone reported on Steve’s gung-ho methods. But this looked like someone may be feeding the reporter information and that couldn’t be good for anyone.

“Steve, don’t you think you’re over reacting, just a little?” Danny made sure to fasten his seatbelt. The kind of mood his partner was in could prove hazardous to his health.

“What? No.” Steve dropped the newspaper in Danny’s lap then started the car and pulled out of the parking lot. “Did you even read this? The guy is out to smear 5-0’s reputation, or worse, have us disbanded.” He didn’t need Danny questioning his every move. They needed to get on top of this fast.

“So he called us rogue cops. While that hurts, you have to admit that sometimes it’s not that far from the truth.” Danny grabbed the dash as Steve suddenly pulled to the side and stopped. Well, that obviously was the wrong thing to say.

“You agree with the guy, Danny?” Steve looked incredulously at his partner. “Of course you do, you’re always telling me I don’t follow proper police procedure.” Steve’s eyes suddenly became suspicious. “Wait, did you talk to this reporter?”

“No, Steven, I didn’t talk to any reporter, and there’s nothing in this article that isn’t in the public record, if you know where to look.” Danny held eye contact with Steve. He couldn’t allow Steve to believe something like that. Their partnership was too new, something like this could very well spell the end for them. “I would never do that. After all it’s against proper police procedure, and going against procedure is you, not me, Babe. But face it. It was only a matter of time before someone caught on to your activities. Now let’s go see what Kamekona knows, huh Babe?”

Steve looked at Danny for a few seconds more, then turned and drove off. His heart knew there was no way Danny had any part in this, but there was a nagging doubt in his head, what if he did? He’d trusted Nick Taylor, and he’d betrayed him. Steve shook his head, no, Danny wouldn’t do that.

Kamekona knew nothing, but he promised to try and find out whatever he could about the reporter, and who his source could be.

Steve and Danny barely spoke as they drove back to headquarters. When they arrived Kono was already back from her visit to the newspaper. 

“Well?” Steve prompted.

“Nothing. The paper won’t ask Liawilms to reveal his source, and the reporter was nowhere to be found.” Kono looked apologetic, “They also refused to give me an advanced copy of tomorrow’s article. Sorry, boss.”

“It’s alright, Kono. I didn’t really think the paper would give us anything. I’d like to talk to this reporter though.” Steve walked over and stood beside Chin. “Anything yet, Chin?”

Chin shook his head as he tapped away at the computer table. Danny walked back to his own office and started working on reports. Kono moved to help Chin, and Steve headed into his office, also to work on reports and brood over why Danny wasn’t more upset by this. 

The rest of the day was quiet. Chin did manage to learn that Liawilms was a freelance reporter that nobody had ever heard of before. Steve thought that in itself was suspicious. 

Danny couldn’t stop a growing feeling of disquiet. Something was going on and he was sure it was more that just this newspaper article. Also, something about the reporters name bothered him.

At five o’clock Steve sent everyone home. “We’ll pick this up again after we read the article promised for tomorrow’s paper. Maybe it’ll give us a better idea of who this reporter is, and more importantly, who his source is.”

Each team member went their separate ways, none realising the furor the follow-up article would unleash the next day.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I'm sure that most of you figured out the reporter's name, but if you didn't you'll find out in this chapter.

Steve arrived at headquarters at the same time as Chin the next morning, and like the day before there was a newspaper waiting on his desk. “We really need to pull video, see who dropped this off.” Steve said as he sat down behind his desk to read the article. Chin followed him around the desk and stood behind him.

**********

5-0, the Governor’s Taskforce  
By Yandn Liawilms

This reporter has learned, from an inside source, that Commander McGarrett only stayed in Hawaii because the governor promised him immunity and means to go after Victor Hesse, the man who killed his father. A vendetta folks, pure and simple. 

The Commander coerced Detective Williams into being his partner, and on their very first day together he got him shot, because he refused to wait for backup. Later the two men came to blows in front of other police officers and the general public. Detective Williams has been heard to say he hates the Commander. 

If that wasn’t enough, Commander McGarrett later proceeded to order the governor, yes folks, the governor, to block the port so he could go after Victor Hesse on a Chinese freighter. He then drove an HPD vehicle onto said freighter where a gunfight ensues. The amount of damage caused in just his first few days on the job was in the thousands. Not to mention the risk of an international incident. Immunity and means people, must be nice.

5-0 has only been in existence for three months, and the State of Hawaii has had to pay out more in damages than it’s paid out in a normal year.

I’ve learned that Commander McGarrett has hung a suspect off a roof to gain information. He’s thrown another in a shark tank. Not to mention the man tied to the hood of a car and driven around at high speed that thousands witnessed.

He’s used his authority to get his sister off Federal charges. Had his girlfriend use naval intelligence, and resources, to help him find people, this list just goes on.

Then, there is the shoot first and ask questions later attitude. Where ever he goes, shoot outs follow. The worst was at the Aloha Towers tourist area where many innocent bystanders could have been hurt, or worse, killed. In the latest incident Commander McGarrett shot a man who was holding a woman hostage, even though Detective Williams was trying to talk the man into releasing her. Why, because he didn’t want to wait, Detective Williams was taking too long.

Does the State of Hawaii need such a taskforce? This reporter, for one, doesn’t think so. If you agree, voice your opinion to the governor. 

**********

Steve sat behind his desk, a stunned expression on his face. Chin, who had read the article over Steve’s shoulder, had a matching expression. 

Chin recovered first. “You’re thinking Danny is the source?”

“Who else, Chin?” Steve stood, picked up the paper, and exited his office, Chin close behind him. “Some of this stuff only Danny knew, so how could it not be him?”

Kono walked in at that moment, a newspaper tucked under her arm. “I’ve already read it and I know what you’re thinking, Steve. But Danny wouldn’t do this, there has to be another explanation. He wouldn’t talk to a reporter. He’s Ohana.”

Steve sighed, “That’s what I thought, before I read this.”

“What did you think, Steve?” Danny had walked in behind Kono, and having already read that days’ article knew exactly what his teammates were thinking. He hoped that Steve would stay calm and listen to what he had to say.

“I thought you’d grasped the concept of Ohana, that being on this taskforce meant something to you.” Steve walked closer to Danny, invading his personal space. “Tell me again how you didn’t feed this information to the reporter.” Anger was building in Steve, but he knew he had to control it.

Danny held his ground. “I told you yesterday, and I’ll tell you again now. I didn’t talk to any reporter for this article.” 

“Then how do you explain some of the wording. It sure sounds like you. Shoot first and ask questions later. You said those exact words to me in the Camaro. No one could have overheard that.” Steve slapped the paper down on the computer table. “My being on a vendetta, you said that our first day together.”

“Oh, so that must mean I did it?” Danny had promised himself he’d stay calm because he’d known how his partner would react. But now he was having trouble keeping that promise. “Someone is trying to drive us apart. Why can’t you see that?”

Before Steve could answer his phone rang. “It’s the governor, I’d better take this.” He pointed a finger at Danny. “You wait right here, this conversation is far from over.” 

Steve entered his office before he connected the call. His conversation with the governor this morning was very short. He’d barely said hello before she demanded, “I want you in my office in thirty minutes, with an explanation, Commander. Make it good or I shut down 5-0.”

“Yes, governor,” Steve managed before the call was disconnected. 

No one had moved while Steve spoke to the governor. As he exited his office he spoke, “She’s going to shut us down if I don’t have some answers for her in half an hour. So Chin, find that reporter.”

“Don’t bother,” Danny said. He knew what he was about to say would just add fuel to the fire, but they needed to know what Danny had figured out this morning when he read the latest article. “The reporter’s name is an anagram. Yandn Liawilms is really Danny Williams. I realised that this morning, but I should have seen it yesterday.”

“What?” Kono gasped in shock.

“Whoever this is wants you all to think it’s me doing this.” Danny looked at each of his teammates in turn ending with Steve. “You need to believe me, Steve. I had nothing to do with any of this.” But at the look on Steve face, Danny knew he didn’t believe him. He knew, by the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach that Steve was close to losing his temper.

“How, Danny. How can I believe you? There are things in the article that only you knew. That only you would say in just that way.” Steve tapped the newspaper lying on the computer table. “The article says you were mad when I shot Matinsky, and you were. It quotes words you used in the Camaro, with no-one else present. Who else would know that, huh? So tell me how I can believe you didn’t betray us, me, like this?” Anger and frustration rolled off Steve in waves. 

“I’m your partner, how can you believe I’d betray you?” Danny demanded. He needed Steve to listen to him. He had an idea how someone had gotten the information, but he didn’t know how to prove it. For that he needed Chin’s help.

But Steve had had enough and he anger bubbled over. “No, you are no longer my partner, Detective Williams, and you are no longer a member of this taskforce. I want you out of here, now.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This extra, early, chapter is for jojoseven who commented that she couldn't wait. Enjoy.

Kono and Chin each looked on stunned as Steve yelled at Danny, telling him he was no longer his partner, or a member of 5-0.

Danny was also stunned. His mouth opened, as if he was going to say something else, but then it closed. As much as he wanted to convince Steve this was all wrong he knew he had to get out, leave, because he could no longer keep his own temper in check. Whoever was orchestrating this whole thing was getting exactly what they desired. The rest of the team, especially Steve, believed Danny was guilty. The governor was talking about disbanding the taskforce and if she did, then his ‘Ohana’ would all blame him. The hurt from Steve’s words showed in Danny’s eyes, and on his face, for all to see.

Slowly Danny removed his badge and placed it on the computer table, turned and walked out of 5-0 headquarters and down to his car. Once he was seated in the vehicle he rested his head on his hands as he griped the steering wheel. He still couldn’t believe this was happening. Someone hated the team, and himself in particular, bad enough to tear them apart like this, but who could it be? 

He needed to think, go somewhere, and think this through. With that in mind, Danny started the Camaro and drove back to his apartment, his mind racing the whole way. They’d only been together three months, not that many cases to go through. But by the time he pulled into his buildings parking lot he still had no idea, but he did know that he needed to contact Chin and have him check out his case notes. That was the only place, apart from his head, where all the information contained in the article could be found. 

Danny pulled out his phone and wrote up a quick text, sending it before exiting his car and heading towards his apartment. He’d just opened the door when something struck him from behind and his world went dark.

**********

As soon as Danny left, Steve whirled around and stormed into his own office. He sat behind his desk, his elbows resting on the surface, his head in his hands. A very similar position to his partners out in the Camaro, but neither man knew that. The hurt he’d seen in Danny’s eyes before he left made him realize he’d let this get out of hand. He should have at least listened to Danny, but he’d let his temper get the better of him and now Danny was gone. Whatever he’d been about to say in his own defence gone with him. 

Steve checked the time. He’d need to head over to the governor’s office soon, but he had no idea what he’d tell her. As he started to head out though, Chin handed him Danny’s badge. “Steve, I received a text message from Danny.” Steve said nothing so Chin continued. “He wants me to check the file with his case notes. He thinks someone may have gained access to them. That’s the only place he can think of that someone could learn the stuff in the article.”

“You think I was wrong, don’t you?” Steve turned the badge in his hand over and over. “Maybe I should have allowed Danny to explain himself?” Steve knew that was what Chin was thinking simply because he was thinking the same thing.

“I do,” Kono interrupted the two men. The fact that she was mad at Steve for not giving Danny a chance was plain to see on her face.

Steve sighed and pocketed the badge. “Look, I’ll admit I shouldn’t have blown up at him like that, should have let him explain. But I still don’t see how it could be anyone but Danny.” Steve ran his hands through his hair. “Our case note files have added security so no one can access them but us.” Chin and Kono waited, allowing Steve to process things for a few seconds. “Okay, Chin. You do as Danny asked and check his case notes. I have to go tell the governor, something. I have no idea what, yet.” With that he left, dissatisfied with his own reasoning for blowing up at Danny.

The meeting with the governor did not go well. She was annoyed about the articles, and the numerous calls she’d already received. Once again she threatened to shut down the taskforce. Steve told her about the morning’s events, his suspicions that Danny was the leak, and the resulting argument. He also told her about Danny’s text to Chin and their case notes files. The governor wasn’t convinced that Danny would betray his teammates like that, but she agreed that until they found out otherwise, Danny should remain suspended from the taskforce. 

‘God, she has more faith in Danny than I do.’ Steve thought. By the end of the meeting Steve was able to persuade the governor to give him time to find out who was behind this, before she did anything. An hour after he left Steve finally managed to return to 5-0 headquarters.

“Chin, you find anything?” Steve came right to the point. He’d had time to reflect on this whole situation, and had come to realize that he’d been wrong. Danny had asked him, during the investigation into the death of his old partner Meka, “Let’s say IA accused me of skimming off a drug lord and they showed you a stack of evidence that suggested that I did it. Would you believe them?” He’d immediately answered, “No, I wouldn’t.” This situation was no different, but Steve hadn’t seen it until now. 

“I think Danny’s right.” Chin pulled up a file on the computer table. “This is Danny’s secure file containing all his case notes.” Chin pointed to a list of when the file was opened. “See this, someone tried a number of times to access the file, but were unsuccessful. The file locked.”

“Hey, I remember that.” Kono chimed in. “That was last weekend. Danny couldn’t get into the file on Monday. He thought he’d tried the wrong password too many times and it locked him out. I reset it for him. You know how he is with computers.”

“Yeah, well it looks like it wasn’t Danny at all. The person who tried to gain access did so at 2am, on a Saturday. I’m pretty sure that wasn’t Danny,” Chin added.

Steve found he had to agree with Chin, because last Saturday Danny had Grace overnight, so no way would he be at headquarters at 2am. 

“So if they didn’t access the file, how’d they get the information?” 

“They came back two nights later with a password descrambler.” Chin opened another file. “See here? This is where they managed to gain access and printed out all the contents, everything.”

Chin went back to work on the computer. “I’ve pulled up surveillance from those nights, and the last two mornings. Thought maybe we could get a picture of whoever did this.” 

It took only a few minutes to realize that the video was of no help. The person had turned away from the cameras and worn a hoodie covering their head.

“I’m going to dust Danny’s office for prints.” Kono stated. “But I think it’s time you went to see Danny and apologized, don’t you?” The look Kono gave Steve told him without words that she was far from happy with the way he’d treated Danny.

“I know. I’ll go over there now. Let me know if you find any prints.” Steve turned and left the office intent on going to Danny’s and somehow making this right. That was if his partner would even talk to him, after this morning. The badge in his pocket felt heavy. As Danny had told him, on more than one occasion, he’d been an idiot.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time for the team to realise that Danny's in trouble.

Steve arrived at Danny’s apartment only to find that the Camaro wasn’t parked in its usual spot. He tried calling Danny but his call went to voice mail. 

“Hey, Danny, listen, I’m sorry about earlier. Chin checked out your case notes file and you were right. Call me back, we need to talk.” Steve sighed as he hung up and started to drive back to headquarters. It didn’t bode well for their partnership if Danny wouldn’t even take his calls.

He’d only gone a block when his phone rang. Hoping that it was Danny Steve pulled the truck over and picked up his phone. But when he looked at the screen he realised it was Rachel, not Danny calling. A sense of foreboding enveloped him. 

“Hi Rachel, what can I do for you?”

“I’d like you to tell me what’s going on with Danny, Commander McGarrett.” The clipped British accent was sharp and Steve got the impression Rachel was annoyed about something. They’d only met the once, when he and Danny had used her house for a stakeout, but Steve had liked the women.

“I don’t understand.” Steve wondered what Rachel could be talking about. He was fairly sure that Danny wouldn’t have called her regarding what had happened this morning.

“I received a text, not five minutes ago, saying that Danny wouldn’t be picking Grace up as planned. That he was going away for a few days, and not to call him.”

“What?” Steve was about to say more but Rachel cut him off.

“I tried to call him, but it went straight to voicemail. Something’s going on. Is this about those articles in the Star Advertiser?” Rachel carried on before Steve could answer. This woman was very astute. “I know that the wording sounds like Danny, but there’s no way he would ever talk to a reporter. He had a run in with the press in New Jersey and has never trusted them since. So if you’re thinking Danny leaked what was written, you’re wrong.”

“Rachel, I know Danny didn’t leak the information.” Steve sighed. “But we did have words this morning, and I lost my temper. Danny left headquarters and he’s not at his apartment because I was just there. He’s not answering my calls either.”

“You better find him, Commander. Because I know that something is wrong. He’d never go away without first talking to Grace, and explaining why he was going, and when he’d be back. I’ll make up some excuse to tell Grace, but please, have Danny call me as soon as you find him.” With that Rachel hung up.

Steve sat looking at his phone for a few seconds, and actually jumped when it rang again, he’d been so lost in thought. Something was wrong with what Rachel had told him. Danny would never willingly give up his time with Grace. Steve knew that, heck anyone who knew Danny well, knew that. Also, there was no way that he’d go away with this whole newspaper thing hanging over his head.

Steve answered his phone as it rang for the second time. 

“Chin, give me some good news because Danny wasn’t at his apartment.”

“We found a set of prints that definitely don’t belong in Danny’s office, Steve. You need to get back here, because I think there’s more going on than we know.”

“On my way,” Steve drove off, turning on his lights and siren as he sped back to headquarters. 

Steve burst through the door and headed straight for Chin and Kono who were standing at the computer table. 

“What do you have?”

“Meet Detective Ahuna.” Chin indicated the picture on the screen. “Kono found his prints on the underside of Danny’s desk.”

“Does Danny know this man?” Kono asked.

“Yes, he was at HPD when we went there after Meka’s murder.” Steve thought back, trying to remember what had happened. “He refused to talk to Danny about what Meka was working on.” Steve ran his hand through his hair. “He was never here in Danny’s office to my knowledge.”

“No he wasn’t, not officially anyway. But his size and shape does match the hooded figure in the video surveillance.” Chin brought up another picture and placed it beside the first. “Something else I found though, Steve.” Chin hesitated.

“What?” The sense of foreboding he’d had earlier was now back tenfold.

“Ahuna and Kaleo were friends.” Chin brought up a picture of Kaleo. “Ahuna has been to see Kaleo in prison a number of times. The latest was two days ago.”

Steve’s face paled. “Oh god, we have to find Danny. If Kaleo is involved in this then you’re right, Chin. There’s more going on here than we know.” Steve pulled out his phone and tried to call Danny. But, again, his call went straight to voice mail.

Kono moved around the computer, opened up a search box, and started typing. “I’ll see if I can pull up the GPS on the Camaro.”

“While you do that, I’ll track his phone.” Chin opened up his own search box and also started typing.

Steve stood by and watched, his hand in his pocket clasped around Danny’s badge. “I think he’s been taken,” he suddenly said.

“What? Why would you think that, Steve?” Chin asked, sighing as he realised Danny’s phone was off or out of range.

“Because, Rachel called me a few minutes ago. Danny texted her that he wouldn’t be able to pick up Grace, was going away for a few days, and not to call him.” Steve started pacing. “She also told me that Danny had a run in with the press in New Jersey and would never talk to them.” Steve stopped pacing and put his hands on the computer table, leaning against it heavily. Frustration and guilt surrounded him like a cloud. “I should have listened to him. He tired to tell me something was going on.”

“Steve, stop the self-flagellation,” Chin ordered. “It’s not helping us, or Danny, right now.”

Steve took a deep, calming breath, and stood up straight. 

“Okay, you’re right. Did either of you find anything?”

“There’s no signal from the GPS in Danny’s car,” Kono answered. “I’ll put out an APB, see if it turns up.”

Steve nodded and then looked at Chin.

“His phone’s off.” Chin hit some more keys. “I can’t turn it back on either. The battery must have been taken out. Or it could be out of the range of a cell tower.”

Steve started to pace again. 

“Can you find where the text sent to Rachel originated? That may help. It would tell us where he was about thirty minutes ago anyway.”

“Yeah. Give me a minute.” Chin went back to work on the computer. “There, look. It pinged of the tower up near Wahiawa. Why would Danny go up there? That’s pretty remote.”

“He wouldn’t.” Steve agreed with Chin. No way would Danny go up there by himself.

“Hey, HPD just found the Camaro in the Aloha Towers parking lot. It’s empty,” Kono cut in.

Steve was moving before Kono even finished. 

“Let’s go. Have a crime scene team meet us at the car.” Steve was nearly at the door now. “Oh, and send another team and HPD to Danny’s apartment, it needs to be checked.”

Kono made the call as she ran to keep up with Chin, who had taken off after Steve. They needed to find Danny soon, because it looked like something bad may have happened to him.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now to find out what's happening to Danny.

Danny woke to find himself in a small, dark space. From the noise and the motion he figured it was the trunk of a car. His hands were secured behind his back and his head hurt from where he’d been hit. It took him a few moments to remember what’d happened to land him here. Then it all rushed back to him. The newspaper articles in the Star Advertiser, and then Steve accusing him of being the leak. The worst part was Steve telling him he was no longer his partner and ordering him to leave headquarters, and 5-0.

Small spaces were not places Danny liked to go, and this space felt very small. He tried to wriggle and contort himself so that he could move his arms in front of him, but the ropes were too tight, and all he succeeded in doing was to tear the skin on his wrists. He could feel the panic at being closed in start to build, but then the car stopped, and he heard doors open then slam closed. It sounded like two doors, but he wasn’t sure. 

Suddenly the trunk opened and the sunlight blinded him for a few seconds. Long enough for two men to grab a hold of him, drag him roughly from the trunk, and drop him unceremoniously onto the ground. 

Without his hands to break the fall, Danny landed on his right shoulder, the right side of his face scrapping along the pebbly ground. He was pretty sure he’d have abrasions from forehead to chin if the pain was anything to go by. Worse than the pain emanating from his face, was the pain in his shoulder and right knee. His ACL had only recently healed from the damage it had suffered chasing his Neanderthal partner around the island. Ex-partner, Danny corrected that thought. Now he’d twisted it again and he wasn’t at all sure he’d be able to stand on it.

As if they could read his mind, the two goons next to Danny pulled him up to stand between them. Happily, for Danny, they held onto him or he would have fallen right back down, his right knee definitely was not going to hold his weight.

Danny managed to look around while they just seemed to stand there, waiting for something. He could see that he was no long in Honolulu, but somewhere that was forested. Directly in front was an old, run down cabin that had seen better days. The roof looked like it was about ready to collapse and most of the windows were broken.

“You could’ve at least picked a nicer cabin that this. I hate rustic, much prefer modern accommodations.” Danny couldn’t help the snarky comment.

The goon on his right landed a punch to Danny’s abdomen and growled “Shut up.”

“Well, well, well. You haven’t changed a bit, Williams,” a voice from behind Danny said. “Take him into the cabin, I’ll be there shortly.”

Danny couldn’t see the man, but his voice was familiar. He tried to twist around enough to see as the two goons dragged him forward towards the cabin, but they wouldn’t allow it. The pain in his right knee doubled as he was jostled along. Once in the cabin Danny was again held between the two men. He had a chance to look around before the third man followed them in. The cabin was not just run down, it was literally falling apart. There was broken furniture scattered around the one room, glass from the windows lying where it had fallen, and pieces of the roof covered the floor. An old cast iron cook stove sat at the far end of the cabin between two windows.

The third man entered behind Danny and walked around to stand in front of him.

“Ahuna!” Danny exclaimed. “You’re behind this?”

“You ruined the good thing Kaleo and I had going at HPD, Williams. We figured ending 5-0 and making you pay, personally, would give us a little satisfaction. Your case notes gave me everything I needed to do just that. Kaleo sends his regrets, but he couldn’t make our meeting.” Ahuna took out his cell phone and pointed it at Danny. “He did ask me to record our little session, though. Okay, I’m ready,” He said to the two men holding Danny.

One man moved behind Danny, holding him upright, while the other moved in front and started beating him. 

“Remember, hurt don’t kill him. He has to die a slow, painful, lonely death,” Ahuna warned, smiling with pleasure at the pain being delivered to the loudmouthed detective.

By the time the man was done, Danny hurt all over. His left eye was almost swollen shut. He had a split lip, and he was sure, cracked ribs on his left side. 

Ahuna had filmed the whole beating, the smile never leaving his face. 

“Kaleo will enjoy watching this. Now, put him over there and fasten him up.”

The two goons dragged Danny over to the back of the cabin and dropped him in front of the cook stove. 

Danny tried to curl in on himself but it wasn’t easy with his hands still tied behind his back. One of the goons picked up a chain lying next to the right side of the stove and wrapped it around Danny’s right ankle, fastening it tightly with a padlock. Danny realised the other end was already secured around one leg of the stove. The two goons then left, going back out to the car, leaving Danny alone with Ahuna. 

“That should hold you, Williams,” Ahuna stated. “A few things before I go. Your former teammates blame you for the governor disbanding 5-0 this morning.” 

Danny sucked in a breath, he’d worried the governor would do just that. 

“They believed, so easily, that you betrayed them, especially that Navy SEAL partner of yours. I guess he didn’t believe in you, the way you believed in Meka.” Ahuna kept on talking and filming. “Also, I texted your ex-wife using your phone,” Ahuna pulled Danny’s phone from his pocket and dropped it beside Danny as he spoke. “No signal out here, by the way. She thinks you’re going away for a few days, so I’m afraid nobody will be looking for you any time soon.”

Danny said nothing as he tried to keep the despair he felt from showing on his face. 

“Now, one last thing,” Ahuna picked up an old nail from a broken table lying nearby. “This should ensure you die a slow, agonising death, just what Kaleo wants.” He plunged the nail into the top of Danny’s right thigh, twisted it around some, and left it there as he stood.

Still filming he backed away from Danny. “I hope I didn’t hit anything vital, like an artery, because Kaleo really wants you to suffer for putting him in jail. However, that should become infected very quickly, don’t you think? Have a nice death, Williams.” With that, Ahuna left, slamming the door behind him causing the whole cabin to shake and the door to sag on one hinge. Bits of rotten roofing fell down on and around Danny as he lay there, too stunned to say, or do anything.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time for the team to find out how much trouble Danny's in.

The 5-0 team arrived at the Aloha Towers parking lot in record time. The silver Camaro was parked neatly so as not to attract any attention. If HPD hadn’t been actively looking for it, the car would have stayed there for days, until someone realised it was abandoned.

There was no sign of Danny, and no evidence to lead them to whoever had taken him. The only thing of note was the seat, positioned too far back for Danny to have driven the car there, and the GPS in the trunk having been disconnected.

Frustration oozed from Steve’s every pore as they walked back to his truck to return to headquarters. The forensic team sent to Danny’s apartment called shortly before they arrived back. Kono put her phone on speaker so they could all hear. 

“The apartment door was unlocked, but closed when we arrived. On entering the apartment we found a small amount of blood on the floor. We’ve sent it to the crime lab for analysis. Apart from that there’s no sign of anything untoward happening here.”

“Thanks,” Kono said as she disconnected the call. “Looks like Danny was definitely taken from his apartment, then. I’ll pull video from the area as soon as we get back.”

“We’ll drop you off, Kono. Chin and I are going to HPD to find Ahuna and get some answers.” Steve had, as Danny called it, he SEAL death stare on right now, which didn’t portend well for Ahuna.

Kono ran up the stairs and into headquarters. She soon had all the available video from around Danny’s apartment loading on the computer table. 

While the video was coming up though, Kono decided to look into Ahuna, starting with tracing his phone.

Steve and Chin were almost at HPD when Chin’s phone rang. “Kelly,” he answered. “What? He’s there now? Okay, we’re on our way.”

“Chin?” 

“That was Kono. She traced Ahuna’s phone. He’s at Halawa, Steve.”

Steve immediately changed direction and activated the lights and siren on his truck. Chin figured the way Steve was driving they’d be at Halawa within ten minutes, and the look on Steve’s face said that Ahuna would tell them where he had Danny, one way or another.

They’d hoped to find Ahuna still inside the prison where capturing him would be easier, but it wasn’t to be. Ahuna was already outside and walking towards his vehicle when Steve’s truck screeched into the parking lot. As they exited the truck, Ahuna drew his gun and started firing at them. Both men sought cover, drawing their own weapons. 

“We need him alive, Chin.” Steve was stating the obvious.

They split, each man going in opposite directions so they could trap Ahuna between them. Chin managed to wound Ahuna which caused him to move, just as Steve also tried to wound him. The resulting injury proved to be more damaging than intended. Ahuna fell, blood now pumping out of a wound to his thigh, an artery obviously hit. 

Steve was beside the stricken man in seconds, trying to stop the bleeding, but knowing there was nothing to be done. Ahuna would bleed out before help could arrive. 

“Where’s Danny, Ahuna?” Steve pleaded. “Tell me where Danny is?”

“T…Too late.” Ahuna gasped. “He’ll ... be dead ... before you ... can find him.” Ahuna managed one more breath before he went still.

“No. No. No,” Steve cried. “We needed him alive.” Steve sat on the ground next to Ahuna’s body. Despair radiated from him. They’d just killed the only man who could tell them where Danny was. 

“What about Kaleo, Steve?” Chin put a hand on Steve’s shoulder, he was just as upset as Steve was, but someone needed to remain calm. “He was a part of this. He may know where Ahuna took Danny.”

Steve looked up. Hope flared in his eyes briefly then was gone. 

“No point. He’ll never tell us. Call Kono. See if she can track where Ahuna was today using the GPS in his vehicle, or phone.” Steve wiped the blood from his fingers on Ahuna’s shirt and pulled the man’s phone from his pocket. “Let’s get back to headquarters; this may help us find Danny.” Steve waved the phone as he headed back to his truck.

“Anything, Kono?” Steve immediately asked as he ran into headquarters, Chin hot on his heels.

“Ahuna was in the same area as Danny’s phone when it sent the text to Rachel. They both pinged off the same tower.” 

Steve’s face fell. He’d been hoping Kono would find something. 

“He wasn’t driving his HPD vehicle so I can’t track him that way either.”

Chin picked Ahuna’s phone up from where Steve had placed it on the computer table. He started going through the phones contents. 

“Wow, there’s a video here.” He placed the phone back on the table, and soon a video started to play on the overhead screens. 

“Oh my god,” Kono gasped as Danny came into view held by two men.

No one spoke again until the video finished. Steve walked away several feet, his back to the screens. He pulled Danny’s badge from his pocket and just stared at it. Kono and Chin each shared a worried look. Neither said a word until Steve, having gained control of his emotions, pushed the badge back into his pocket and turned back around.

“Play it again. This time we need to look at the background. There has to be something, anything that will tell us where this is. Where Danny is.” Steve had to find his partner, and soon by the looks of this video. If he didn’t, then Ahuna would be right and it would be too late for Danny.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's go back to Danny and see how he's doing.

Danny lay still as Ahuna left. The pain in his right knee paled in comparison to the pain he now felt in his thigh. Panting to get through it, Danny shifted so he was more on his right side. He hoped that would slow the bleeding, somewhat, but it certainly didn’t help with the throbbing. 

The sound of a vehicle leaving penetrated Danny’s scattered thoughts, and he realised he was now on his own. From what Ahuna had said, he figured nobody would be looking for him anytime soon, so if he was to get out of here, he’d have to do it himself.

With a supreme effort, Danny managed to push himself up to a seated position. He looked around at all the debris spread across the floor. Not that far away lay some large pieces of glass from one of the broken windows. If he could just get one of them, maybe he could free his hands.

Slowly, Danny managed to turn so his left leg could reach some of the broken glass. He was thankful that they’d left that leg free, because he’d never have been able to use his right leg to pull some of the glass towards him. Soon he had several pieces within reach of his hands, but he was now sweating profusely, and breathing hard. The soreness in his right leg had ratcheted up several notches.

Danny sat still for a while, allowing his breathing to calm and trying his hardest to push the discomfort in his thigh away. He smiled to him self. He was sure that if Steve were in this situation he’d have been free and hiking through the jungle to safety by now. Then the smile faded as he remembered Steve’s anger, and he sighed. It took a few more minutes for Danny to regain control of his emotions, but then he moved to pick up a large piece of glass and start sawing at the ropes binding his wrists.

Cutting the ropes took an inordinately long time, and he managed to nick his wrists in the process. But finally one strand let go, and Danny was able to pull the ropes apart and free his hands, bringing them around to the front of his body. He sat hunched over for a couple of minutes as the ache in his shoulders eased.

The wound in his thigh had initially bled quite a lot, but now it had slowed and Danny couldn’t decide if he should remove the nail, or leave it in. His first instinct was to remove it, but then he tried to think what Steve would do. Danny laughed, it was funny how he always thought about Steve in situations like this. He’d never realised before just how much Steve meant too him. ‘Leave it in.’ Steve’s voice was in his head now. ‘Unless you have something to bandage it with.’

Danny shook his head. Steve’s voice was right, if he took the nail out he ran the risk of it starting to bleed again. With no medical supplies that could be bad. Of course he’d die quicker that way. Just go to sleep from blood loss. Danny shook his head again. That was not him, he didn’t take the easy way out, and if there was even a small chance of his getting back to Grace, he’d take it. So Danny decided to leave the nail in, the infection would happen whether it was in or out, but in seemed better right now.

His cell phone lay beside him, so Danny picked it up to check for a signal. Of course, Ahuna had said there was no signal here, and Danny could see he was right. He put the phone in his pocket and looked at the old cook stove that he was attached too by the chain around his right ankle. It was cast iron, and Danny had no doubt it was heavy. But he had to at least try to get himself free. So carefully, he moved over and looked at the padlocks holding the chain. The only things lying nearby that he could even try to use to pick the lock were nails, and Danny doubted he’d be able to make them work. A few minutes later he gave up in frustration; nails did not bend enough to pick locks.

Danny looked over the stove again. It was free standing, not bolted down. If he could just raise it enough to slip the chain out under the leg, he’d be free, but how? He moved closer to the stove, putting his right leg under as far as the chain would allow. Then he used his left leg to push up on the underside of the stovetop. As hard as he tried, though, Danny couldn’t move the weight of the stove. 

“Damn.” 

“Okay, maybe if I stand and pull up?” He fought to move out from under the stove so he could use it to pull upright. He grunted in pain as he finally managed to stand on his left leg. But he still couldn’t move the stove, so he slid down at the side of it, his back to the wall. 

Tears of frustration sprang to Danny’s eyes. He didn’t want to die like this. Not being able to say goodbye to his baby girl. Steve thinking he had betrayed him. His team disbanded. Danny sat there for sometime as tears leaked out and ran down the sides of his face. It was getting dark out now, and there was no hope anyone would even be looking for him yet. So Danny leant against the stove and fell into a fitful doze, praying that Chin had gotten his text message and at least looked into whether his case notes had been accessed. That just maybe someone would realise he was missing and come looking for him in the morning. Because Danny knew that in these hot, humid temperatures, infection would set in fairly quickly, and by morning he’d be in more trouble. Ahuna and Kaleo may just get what they wanted. Danny would die a slow, painful death, all alone.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time for the team to get a lead on where Danny is.

Steve paced back and forth in front of his office door. Chin and Kono had been working on the computer table for what seemed like hours. Chin was running background on both Ahuna and Kaleo, looking for where Danny could have been stashed. 

Kono had reviewed all the video around Aloha Towers and finally managed to isolate footage of the Camaro being driven into the parking lot. A man exited the vehicle and Kono captured an image of him to run through facial recognition. She also managed to get an image of the licence plate, but the car had been reported stolen hours before.

It was dark out now and Danny had been alone and injured for hours. Steve couldn’t stand the thought of the blond detective thinking he hated him. That he believed his best friend had betrayed him. He needed to find Danny and tell him he was sorry. He didn’t mean what he’d said, that he knew he’d never betray him like that. He needed to give his partner back the badge that now burned a hole in his pocket.

“Steve, I have him.” Kono pulled up an HPD file picture of David King. “This is the man who drove Danny’s car to the Aloha Towers.” 

Chin also went to work, finding known associates of King. One name stood out. Keith Cole, the owner of the supposedly stolen vehicle. 

“Let’s go,” Steve said. “Have HPD meet us at Cole’s address.” The three teammates ran for Steve’s truck, Chin talking to HPD as they went.

By the time they arrived at Cole’s house a standoff was already underway, the supposedly stolen car, parked in the driveway. Steve raced to where Sgt. Duke Lukela stood. “What happened, Duke?”

“They saw us coming and barricaded themselves in.” 

“We need them alive.” Steve stated. “They know where Danny is.” He didn’t believe it, this could not be happening again. He’d already lost one man who could tell him where his partner was. Now the only other two were in a gun battle with HPD.

“Alright, let’s see if we can talk them out of there, then.” Duke moved to the Command Post van that had just pulled up and came back with a megaphone.

Steve took the megaphone when Duke held it out to him and then moved closer. “This is Commander Steve McGarrett, Five-0. Throw down your weapons and come out with your hands raised.”

There was no response. 

“You’ll not be harmed if you come out now,” Steve continued. “We simply want to talk to you about Detective Danny Williams.” Again, nothing. “We know you were involved in his abduction, along with Detective Ahuna. You tell us where Danny is, and I’ll personally speak to the DA on your behalf.”

Gunfire was the only response as bullets hit the police car Steve crouched behind. HPD returned fire.

“We need a plan,” Steve said as Chin and Kono came up beside him. “Find a layout of that house, Chin. We need a way in there.” He knew the only way to get the men out alive was for his team to go in and get them. 

But before Chin could even respond an explosive blast sent everyone diving for cover. When Steve pushed himself up to look again, the house was a pile of rubble.

Debris lay everywhere. A number of HPD officers were down, hit by flying rubble. Steve could see that Kono had a cut on her upper left arm. Chin seemed to have gotten away unscathed. 

“No!” Steve gasped. “Duke, what the hell happened?” he yelled as the man ran towards him.

“We don’t know, Steve. But it looks like they may have set off an explosion.” Duke didn’t stay as he continued on to his injured officers.

Steve slid down and sat against the side of the car next to him. He watched, as if in a daze, as fire trucks and a number of ambulances pulled up. Chin was talking to him, but he couldn’t hear him due to the buzzing in his head. He didn’t remember being hit, but the way his head felt, and the look on Chin’s face, he knew he must’ve been. His only thought, as darkness closed in on him, was that this was it. They’d just killed Danny, because now they’d no way of finding him.

Steve woke in the back of an ambulance. He sat up abruptly, bushing away the medic who was trying to start an IV.

“Steve, let the man help you,” Chin said from where he stood just outside the back doors of the ambulance.

“No. I’m fine.” Steve swung his leg over the side of the gurney and stood up. Dizziness assailed him briefly, but it soon cleared up.

“Sir, you need to go to the hospital and have that head wound looked at.” The medic attempted to have Steve lay back down on the gurney.

“What I have to do is find my partner,” Steve said adamantly. “Now, tape up the wound and I’ll be going.”

“You better do as he says,” Chin supplied helpfully. “Patch him up, I’ll look after him. If he shows any signs of being in trouble I’ll bring him in. Okay?”

The medic shook his head, but did as Chin asked. A few minutes later Steve exited the ambulance, three butterfly bandages holding the cut on the right side of his forehead closed. 

Kono, who had a bandage around her left arm, walked up to Steve. 

“They’re both dead, Steve.” The look of devastation on her face told Steve that she realised what that meant for Danny.

“Run a check on both of them. See if they own any property in the Wahiawa area.” Steve headed towards his truck as he spoke. “I’m heading up there.”

“Wait!” Chin called after him. “Give me a minute and we’ll come with you.” Chin ran over to Duke and spoke to him then headed back towards Steve and Kono.

Kono had climbed into the back seat of Steve’s truck and was already busy on her laptop, while Chin spoke to Duke.

Steve had the truck running and was tapping impatiently on the steering wheel when Chin climbed in the passenger side. Before Chin even had his seatbelt on, Steve pealed away, siren and lights on, as he headed to Wahiawa.

“Steve. We need to get there in one piece,” Chin cautioned. “Our getting into an accident isn’t going to help Danny.” All three teammates stopped breathing for a second, Chin had sounded so much like Danny in that moment.

“It’s been hours, Chin.” Steve ran his left hand through his hair. “Danny needs to be in a hospital. That wound in his leg will be infected by now with these humid temperatures.”

“Duke is pulling the GPS unit from Cole’s vehicle and running it over to the crime lab.” Chin put a calming hand on Steve’s right arm. “If it isn’t too badly damaged by the explosion, they should be able to tell us where the car was today.”

“That’s good.” Steve sighed, and wondered why he hadn’t thought of the vehicle’s GPS.

“Yeah, because I’ve got nothing up in Wahiawa, belonging to either man,” Kono added.

“Damn!” Steve swore. It would be dawn by the time they got to Wahiawa. Danny would have spent the whole night alone, hurt, thinking that Steve believed he’d betrayed him. They had to find him, alive, nothing else was acceptable.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time for the team to find Danny, but will it be in time?

The light of dawn woke Danny, who still sat slumped against the wall and the cook stove. He’d spent a restless night. Every time he’d fallen asleep he’d move somehow, and the pain in his leg would wake him. He didn’t need a thermometer to tell him that he was already running a fever. The heat radiating from his body surrounded him like a cloud, but he was shivering too.

 

He could feel his body as it started to betray him. The infection that now resided in his thigh wound, starting to overwhelm his system. Dehydration was setting in. Soon he’d be beyond help, but before that happened there was something he needed to do. He needed to say goodbye to his little girl. If he was truly destined to die out here, alone, then he had to tell Grace how much he loved her.

 

Danny removed his phone from his pocket and turned on the voice recorder app.

 

_“Grace, I love you so much, Monkey. I’m so sorry I didn’t get to say goodbye to you in person. Please don’t hate me for that. I’ve tried so hard to keep this island safe for you, but now, because I put a bad cop away, I’m not going to get to see you grow up. I won’t be there to scare your boyfriends into behaving, to walk you down the isle, or greet my first grandchild. Those are all things I really want to do, Monkey, but it’s not to be. As much as I want to come home to you, that’s just not possible this time, Baby. So I want you to have a good life. You still have your Mum and Step-Stan, and I hope, Uncle Steve too. I know they’ll get you through this. Goodbye, Monkey, I love you.”_

By the time Danny had finished recording his message to his daughter, tears ran unheeded down his face. That had to have been the hardest thing he’d ever done. But he was so thankful that Ahuna had left the phone, because not to be able to say goodbye to his baby girl would have hurt worse than dying. He just hoped that some day he’d be found and the recording reached his daughter.

 

Danny sat for a few minutes, still holding his phone. He put the phone down beside him and wiped his face. Then he picked it up again as he realised he had one more message he had to leave.

 

No matter how mad Steve had been the previous morning, Danny knew that, if he died out here, Steve would blame himself. Because Danny knew that Steve hadn’t really meant everything he’d said. It’d all been in the heat of the moment, and when he’d time to reflect, Steve would have realised that Danny wouldn’t have betrayed him like that. At least that’s what Danny told himself in an effort to soothe the hurt he still felt. But he’d come to realise that he couldn’t blame Steve for any of this. He’d put Kaleo away, not Steve, and while Steve’s words had hurt, a lot, Danny could forgive him for having said them.

 

_“Steve, I want you to know I don’t blame you for any of this. Ahuna planned everything so well, I understand how you concluded that I betrayed you. But I didn’t, and I never would. I’m sorry you couldn’t see that, or let me explain, and I hope that one day you realise it’s true. You gave my life purpose by pulling me into 5-0, and losing that yesterday almost killed me. Ha, that’s funny, because I’m going to die here soon anyway. I hope Chin managed to find how Ahuna got into my case notes, because I know now that he did. The governor will reinstate 5-0 when she knows the truth, I’m sure of that. I really liked the Ohana we built and I’m sorry my notes broke us apart. I don’t have the words to express how much your friendship has meant to me these last few months. I know, not having the words is unusual for me. But losing your friendship is on the same level as losing my beautiful daughter. I hope that you’ll look out for Grace, if not for me, then for her. I don’t trust Step-Stan to vet her boyfriends properly. But if you don’t feel you can do that, because of me, and what you believe I did, I’ll understand. Please though, see that she gets the recording I made for her. I’m not a Ninja SEAL like you so I can’t get myself free from this. You’re like a brother to me, and I love you Steve. Tell Chin and Kono I love them too.”_

 

Danny stopped the recording and dropped the phone onto the floor beside him. Leaving the message for Steve had come a close second in being the hardest thing he’d ever done. But now he felt better, that is, for someone who was going to die anyway.

 

He was so thirsty now, he felt like his mouth was full of glue. He licked his lips, but there was no moisture left. His vision started to grey out, and Danny knew that soon he’d be unconscious. The pain in his leg had receded into the background and Danny figured that now he could just let the darkness take him and he’d be at peace. Just as the last trace of consciousness was departing, he heard the sounds of a vehicle, but he was already too far gone to even care.

 

**********

 

They were almost in Wahiawa when Chin’s phone rang. He put it on speaker as soon as he recognized the number was from the crime lab.

 

“Kelly.”

 

“Officer Kelly, we were able to download the information from the GPS Sgt. Lukela sent in,” the woman on the other end said. “We have a location in Wahiawa. I’m sending the co-ordinates to your phone as we speak.”

 

“Thank you.” Chin quickly disconnected the call. Once his phone beeped with the message containing the co-ordinates, Chin programmed them into the trucks GPS. “Kono, have an ambulance dispatched to these co-ordinates.” Chin handed his phone back to Kono. “We’ll lose cell service soon.”

 

Steve had worried the call from the crime lab wouldn’t come through before they reached Wahiawa. He knew that cell phone service was spotty at best in this area and they needed the information in Cole’s GPS if they were to find Danny anytime soon. None of them had thought to swing by headquarters and pick up a satellite phone.

 

They arrived at the co-ordinates a few minutes later, all three exiting the vehicle as if it were on fire. Steve made it to the cabin door first, and it posed no problem as he kicked it out of the way. He stopped abruptly, as it was darker in the cabin and his eyes needed a few seconds to adjust. When he spotted Danny, where he sat slumped beside the cook stove, Steve was moving again.

 

“Danny? Danny?” Steve fell to his knees beside his partner. He couldn’t tell if Danny was alive or not, so he reached out a tentative hand to feel for a pulse at Danny’s throat.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> He may be found, but he's not out of the woods yet.

Steve released the breath he’d been holding as a sigh when he felt the weak pulse thrum under his finger. 

“He’s alive.” 

Chin and Kono had both squatted down. Chin by Danny’s feet where he studied the chain attached to Danny’s leg. Kono was right behind Steve as she looked in alarm at the nail still protruding from Danny’s thigh.

Steve ran his eyes down his partner’s body from head to toe, cataloguing in his mind the injuries he could see. 

“Kono, get the medical kit from under the back seat of the truck.” 

Kono was on her feet and out the door in seconds. She returned with the extensive medical kit Steve kept in his vehicle, placing it on top of the cook stove, and opening it.

Steve and Chin gently turned Danny so they could lay him flat on the floor. 

“Keep that leg steady Chin, I don’t want it to start bleeding again.”

Chin nodded as he mainly supported Danny’s right leg, while Steve eased him forward so he could lift the top half of Danny’s body by placing his hands under both shoulders. Kono moved to help by lifting his left leg.

A groan escaped from the prone man as he was moved, but he didn’t wake. 

“Kono, get a couple of water bottles from the truck. He’s burning up and we need to try and cool him off.” Steve shifted to Danny’s right side so he could access the medical kit. He took it from the top of the cook stove and placed it by the side of Danny’s head.

On Kono’s return Chin spoke. 

“Steve, help me lift this stove so we can free Danny’s leg.” At Steve’s nod, Chin continued, “Kono, you pull the chain out when we lift.”

Kono grasped the chain and as Steve and Chin lifted the corner of the stove, she slipped the chain free. It didn’t remove it from Danny’s leg, but at least he could now be moved out of the cabin when the ambulance arrived.

Steve knelt back down beside Danny. 

“Okay, Chin, you cut the right pant leg up past the nail.” Scissors were pressed into Chin’s outstretched hand. “Kono, use this to clean off Danny’s face, while you cool him down.” Steve passed Kono a large gauze pad. “I’m going to check him for other injuries.

Kono moved to sit by Danny’s head. She soaked the gauze pad and tried to gently clean the blood away from the right side of Danny’s face. 

“This is some rash, Steve. They must have dropped him while his hands were tied as we saw in the video.”

Steve had opened Danny’s shirt and was checking his ribs when Kono spoke. He pushed the shirt off Danny’s right shoulder and uncovered a massive bruise. 

“I’d say so.” 

Chin had Danny’s pant leg cut all the way up now. 

“It looks like his knee is twice the size it should be. You think his ACL has been re-torn?”

Steve turned from where he’d been examining Danny’s rib. 

“He has cracked ribs on the left side. There’s definitely something wrong with that knee, Chin.” Steve moved closer and examined the nail wound without touching it. There was redness around the wound. It was also swollen with pus starting to leak out. “This wound is badly infected.”

“Should we do anything, like take the nail out?” Chin queried.

“No. There’s nothing we can do here.” Steve sat down and ran his hands through his hair in frustration. “How long, until the ambulance gets here, Kono?”

“I’d say at least fifteen minutes.” Kono went to slide in behind Danny and lifted his head to rest on her lap. Steve reached up and supported Danny’s head so Kono could get settled.

“There’s blood back here,” Steve said as he turned Danny’s head so he could get a look at the back of it. “Must be where he was hit when they took him.”

Chin moved up on Danny’s left side and lifted his lower arm. 

“His wrists look pretty bad too.” The raw skin around Danny’s wrists was covered in dirt, and ugly scabs had formed over the nicks he’d made while cutting himself free. “Looks like he used that piece of glass over there to free his hands.” Chin indicated the large piece of glass with blood on the edges lying not too far away.

There was silence for a few seconds while each person sat looking at their teammate, unconscious on the floor.

“Okay, Chin, you go make sure the ambulance doesn’t get lost.” Steve threw Chin the keys to his truck. “Kono, you keep trying to cool Danny down. I’ll see what I can do for his wrists and knee.”

Steve retrieved a large ace bandage from the kit and moved down beside Danny’s knee. He had the knee wrapped and was just securing the bandage when Danny moved the leg and cried out in pain. Steve immediately moved up to Danny’s head and put both hands on his shoulders to keep him still.

“Don’t move, Danny. Lie still.” 

Danny rolled his head from side to side groaning as he did so. 

“Danny, it’s alright,” Steve tried again.

Finally, two cloudy blue eyes opened. The left one barely, as it was so swollen. “St… Steve?” Danny croaked. “I… I didn’t think… you’d come.”

“I’ll always come for you, Danny.” Steve reached for the water bottle Kono had sat next to the medical kit. “Here,” he said as he opened it and held it to Danny’s lips. “Just a little now.” 

Danny had never tasted anything as good as that first sip of water. He still couldn’t understand how Steve could be there. His mind tried to understand, but then he started shivering again, which caused his right leg to move and he was plunged back into the welcoming darkness.

“No, Danny, stay awake,” Steve pleaded. But it was already too late. Danny was, once again, unconscious.

“Where the hell is that ambulance?” Steve said in frustration.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just so you know, I'm not a medical professional so anything that doesn't sound right, just go with it.

The ambulance pulled in behind Chin, fifteen minutes later. By then, Steve had cleaned Danny’s wrists as best he could, and bandaged them with gauze. Kono still had Danny’s head resting in her lap while she continued to try and cool him. 

An emergency blanket from Steve’s medical kit covered Danny, but he was still shivering. Each time he shivered his right leg moved and he groaned in pain. Steve had taken his temperature and it was up over 102 degrees, a sure sign that an infection was running rampant through Danny’s body.

The two medics, who came in behind Chin, listened to Steve’s rundown of Danny’s injuries, and decided to ‘scoop and run’. 

“I’ll do what I can on the way, but we need to get him to a hospital fast,” Tony, the senior of the two, said as they moved to lift Danny onto the gurney they’d brought in with them.

“I’m coming with you,” Steve told him. “I had advanced medical training in the SEAL’s, so I can help.”

By then Danny had been placed on the gurney and Tony, and his partner, were already moving him out towards the ambulance. With an appraising look at Steve, Tony nodded.

“Alright, I could use the help, Commander McGarrett. Get in.”

“Take care of things here, Chin,” Steve ordered as he jumped into the back of the ambulance. Seconds later the doors were closed and the ambulance sped away, lights flashing, siren wailing.

Tony quickly started an IV in the back of Danny’s left hand, while Steve hooked Danny up to oxygen. 

“There are chemical cooling packs in that locker.” Tony pointed to a locker behind Steve. “Break some of them out, we need to bring his temperature down. You know where to put them?” 

Steve nodded.

While Steve did as requested, Tony hooked Danny up to a heart monitor and took his blood pressure. 

“His pressure’s really low, how long was he out here?”

“It’s been about eighteen hours,” Steve answered quietly. “We should have found him sooner.”

“I’m sure you did everything you could, Commander.” Tony reached up and pulled more equipment out. “Switch places with me. I’m going to start a central line so I can push fluids into him quicker than a regular IV.”

Steve moved, allowing Tony access to Danny’s head and neck area. 

“Anything more I can do?”

“No, you did a lot before we got there. The hospital will have to deal with that nail,” Tony replied as he inserted the central line and hooked up a bag of fluids.

Once the two men had done everything they could, Danny was again covered by a blanket and Steve picked up his partners left hand, holding it tightly.

It took, what seemed like hours to Steve to reach Queen’s Medical, when in fact it was only forty-five minutes. Danny’s condition deteriorated despite the fluids being pushed into him. Tony had taken to kneading the bag, trying to raise Danny’s blood pressure when it remained stubbornly low.

Tony had appraised the hospital of Danny’s condition, so once they arrived Danny was whisked directly into surgery. The priority right now was to remove the nail and debride the wound, removing as much of the infection as possible.

Steve was left to fill out paperwork, then to wait for news on how the surgery was going. A nurse entered the room every thirty minutes and told Steve that Danny was still holding his own, but it would be awhile before the surgeon was done.

After the first time the nurse came out, Steve decided he’d better call Rachel and let her know what was happening. Once he’d explained how they’d found Danny, and his present condition, Steve told her he’d call again when Danny was settled in a room. 

“Thank you Commander. I appreciate your call.” Rachel cleared her throat. “He’ll be okay, won’t he?”

“He’s strong, Rachel. Of course he’ll be okay.” Steve ran his free hand through his hair. “I’ll call you later.” Once Rachel hung up, Steve put his phone away then sat with his head in his hands. Danny had to be okay, not just for Grace, but for him too. He realised now, more than ever before, that Danny meant a lot to him. If he was suddenly no longer in his life, Steve wasn’t sure what he’d do. Danny’s badge, still in his pocket, seemed to get heavier.

Chin and Kono arrived after Steve had been waiting alone for two hours. They came with coffee and sandwiches. 

“We figured you’d have been here the whole time,” Chin said. “So we decided you needed food. We all missed breakfast.” He set the cup container and bag down on the table in front of Steve then moved to sit beside him. 

“How’s Danny, Steve?” Kono asked.

“He’s in surgery. They took him directly there when we arrived. A nurse is coming out with updates every half hour.” Steve looked at his watch. “She’ll be out in about five minutes.”

Kono sat down on the other side of Steve and reached into the bag, pulling out a sandwich. 

“Here, eat.” At Steve slight headshake, she continued, “Danny will need you while he’s recovering, Steve. You need to keep up your strength.” 

Steve slowly took the sandwich and managed to eat it, before he reached for a coffee. He’d just taken his first sip when the nurse entered the room.

“Commander?” She questioned as she looked at Chin and Kono.

“It’s okay, you can talk in front of them. They’re the rest of Five-0,”

The nurse nodded once. 

“Detective Williams is out of surgery and in recovery. His surgeon would like to see you and asked that I bring you to the family room, it’s just down the hall.”

Steve nodded and stood, ready to follow her. Chin and Kono also stood but didn’t make a move to follow Steve. Steve stopped at the door, turned, and waved for them to come with him. He knew they cared just as much about Danny as he did. They were Ohana, so he was sure they needed to hear what the surgeon had to say, too.

The room was empty when they arrived, but the surgeon soon entered. 

“Commander McGarrett?” he asked as he looked at the three people in the room.

“Yes.” Steve held out his hand to the surgeon, who shook it. “This is Officers Kelly and Kalakaua. They are part of Danny’s Ohana. You can talk in front of them.”

The surgeon shook Chin and Kono’s hands then indicated they should all sit. 

“My names Doctor Wright, I operated on Detective Williams.”

“Danny,” Steve said.

“Yes, Danny,” Doctor Wright agreed. “The surgery went well. I was able to remove the nail and clean out the resulting infection. There’s a drain in place, but I should be able to remove that by tomorrow. I believe the nail was there for a number of hours?”

“About eighteen hours,” Steve confirmed.

“Well, the nail itself didn’t do too much damage, really. However, the infection has spread from the wound sight, and is now running rampant throughout Danny’s body.” The doctor held up his hand as Steve started to speak.

“We’re treating Danny with a regime of antibiotics, and are hopeful we can knock the infection out. But I have to warn you that it may get worse, before it gets better.” The doctor sighed. “Add to that the severe dehydration and there is still a chance we could lose him.”

“No,” Kono gasped. “We found him against all odds, he has to be okay.” She reached out and grasped Steve’s hand. “Steve, he has to be okay, right?”


	12. Chapter 12

Steve squeezed Kono’s hand in reassurance. 

“He’s strong, Kono,” was all he said though, as he looked at the doctor to continue.

“The abrasions and cuts on his wrists were also infected, but they are easily dealt with as they’re not deep. We’ve clean up the cut to the back of his head, and the abrasion on his face. The split lip and black eye will heal in time. He does have two cracked ribs on the left side, but they are not really a concern. The rest of the bruises are not too bad, except the one on his right shoulder, but the shoulder itself is not damaged.” The doctor paused. “His right knee is going to require surgery to fix the torn ligaments. But given his current condition, we’ll have to leave it for now. It has been immobilized though.” The doctor paused again. “It was necessary to place Danny on a respirator.” At the shocked looks on all three faces, he continued. “The dehydration was starting to shut his body down. The respirator is to give him a chance to recover without having to struggle to breathe. Also, because of the infection his temperature is very high, so we’re working to cool him.”

When it was obvious that Doctor Wright had concluded his summary of Danny’s injuries, Steve ran his hand through his hair. 

“When can we see him?”

“Not for a couple of hours. He’ll be in recovery for a while and then moved to ICU. Once he’s settled there, I’ll allow you to see him. Go home, clean up, eat a proper meal then come back.” Doctor Wright stood up to leave.

“Doc, what about his daughter, can she visit in ICU?” 

“How old is she?”

“Eight,” Steve replied.

“Then I’m sorry, no. She’s too young. I don’t think a child of that age should see her father in the condition Danny’s in right now.” The doctor nodded at the three teammates and left the room.

Chin stood. 

“Come on Steve, let’s go and get cleaned up like Doc Wright suggested.” Steve looked like he was going to argue, so Chin continued. “I know that once you’re allowed in to see Danny they’ll never get you out, so until then, you need to take care of yourself.”

“Alright, but we’ll go to headquarters. We all have a change of clothes there, and we can stop and eat on the way back here.” Steve rose and headed out of the door.

In the next hour they each showered and changed. When they were ready, they agreed to take their own vehicles and meet at Kamekona’s shrimp truck for an early dinner. It was, by now, the middle of the afternoon.

Once the food was gone, Steve could see that both Chin and Kono had something on their minds. 

“What is it? What’s wrong?” Steve asked.

Chin pulled a phone from his pocket. 

“Steve, this is Danny’s cell phone. I picked it up from the floor in the old cabin.” Chin looked over at Kono again, before looking back at Steve. “There are a couple of messages recorded on here. Danny must have felt he wasn’t going to make it out of there. One is for Grace, the other one is for you.”

“What?”

“When we realised what they were, we didn’t listen to them, Steve,” Kono carried on. “I’m not sure that you should either. Danny may not want you to hear what his last words to you were. When he recovers you can ask him.”

Steve was thankful that Kono had said when Danny recovered. They had to stay positive, because Danny had to recover. He picked up the phone from where Chin had placed it on the table and put it into his pocket. Nothing else was said as they got ready to go back to the hospital.

Steve had called Rachel from headquarters and told her that Danny would be in the ICU and that Grace was too young to visit. She’d thanked him for the call and said she’d tell Grace.

They arrived at the ICU waiting room to be told they could only visit one at a time. So Steve allowed Chin, then Kono to go in first, because once he was in there he had no intention of leaving for some time.

While he waited, Steve called Governor Jameson. He updated her on Danny’s condition, and told her Detective Ahuna had been the person who kidnapped Danny and wrote the articles in the newspaper. She expressed pleasure in knowing that it wasn’t Danny after all, and for Steve to keep her updated on Danny’s condition. 

“I’ll not be leaving him, once I get in there Governor. So could you speak to the administration here at Queen’s? It would make things go a lot smoother if you did.”

“All right, Steve. I’ll call and clear things there for you. You just remember to eat and look after yourself. Danny will need your help during his recovery.” Governor Jameson hung up.

Finally it was Steve’s turn to go in and see his partner. 

“You guys might as well go home. I’ll be staying with Danny.”

“Call us if there’s any change, or if you need anything, Steve,” Chin said as he hugged a teary eyed Kono.

“I will, thanks guys.” Steve turned and walked down the hallway.

Steve paused outside Danny’s ICU unit. He’d seen many of his SEAL teammates in similar circumstances, but this was Danny, and somehow that made it a lot worse. He wasn’t sure when, during the last three months, Danny had become so important to him, but somehow the outspoken Haole had found his way into Steve’s heart. Finally, he moved the curtain surrounding the bed aside, and walked up to Danny’s bed.

It was just as bad as he’d imagined it would be. Danny was deathly pale. The respirator piping coming out of his mouth was taped to the left side of his face where there were no abrasions, just bruises. Heart monitor leads peeked out from under the hospital gown that covered his body. A blood pressure cuff was wrapped around his left arm and a pulse ox meter sat on the middle finger of his right hand. The central IV line was still in place, along with the one in the back of Danny’s left hand. Both wrists were wrapped in gauze and his right leg was elevated on pillows. There was another tube that snaked out and down the side of the bed that Steve was sure Danny wouldn’t like, but was necessary. The drain tube from the nail wound also ran down the side of the bed. Chemical cooling pads were tucked under each arm, and Steve was sure in other places around Danny’s body.

Once he’d taken in the sight of his partner, the sounds started to register. The click, whoosh of the ventilator, the whirring of the IV pumps as they rapidly infused fluids, the beeps of the heart monitor that showed Danny’s heart rate was still too high. Then the automatic blood pressure cuff on Danny’s left arm came to life and registered a low pressure, causing an alarm to ding on the monitor that was silenced by the nurse that Steve hadn’t even noticed. 

Even for all that was being done for him, Danny seemed restless. His head was moving from side to side, his left hand fidgeting on the bed.

Steve moved closer and carefully picked up Danny’s left hand, holding it between both of his, stilling the frenetic movements. 

“Hey, partner. I’m here now, and I’m staying with you. You’re going to be alright, Danny.”

Steve moved his right hand to place it against his partner’s forehead. The heat coming from Danny was still high, despite all the measures being taken to bring down his temperature.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The description of what Steve saw and heard when he entered Danny's ICU cubicle is taken from real life. It's very similar to what I experienced four years ago when my closest friend was in the ICU. Sadly she passed away, Danny will survive.


	13. Chapter 13

Doctor Wright entered Danny ICU room a few minutes after Steve. 

“Well Commander, it seems you have friends in high places.” At Steve’s blank look, the doctor continued. “The hospital administrator has decided to grant the Governor’s request to allow you to stay with Danny.” 

Steve smiled, so the governor had come through. 

“However, as his doctor I have one proviso. You are to stay out of the way, and if asked to leave, for whatever reason, you do so. Do we understand each other?”

“Yeah, doc, I understand, and thank you.” Steve reluctantly released Danny’s hand and moved aside as an orderly entered with a chair. Once the chair was positioned beside the bed, Steve sat down and picked up Danny’s hand again. “His temperature is still high, doc?”

“He’s on the verge of Septic Shock, Commander. I’m hoping to avoid that by pushing fluids into him, but his kidneys are all ready shutting down.” Doctor Wright had been looking at Danny’s chart as he spoke. When he looked up, the worry in Steve’s eyes must have been apparent to him. “He means a lot to you, Commander?”

“He’s my partner,” Steve stated. “Yes, he means a lot to me.” Steve sighed. “The man responsible for this wanted Danny to die slowly, and alone. He almost got his wish because I couldn’t find him until it was nearly too late.”

Steve still had hold of Danny’s left hand and used his right to rub gently up and down Danny’s forearm. 

“I think he’d given up. We’d had an argument the morning he was taken and I told him he was no longer my partner. I’m not sure he believed that anyone was even looking for him. That’s why I need to stay with him, so he knows he’s not alone.”

“He’s very lucky to have a team that cares about him,” Doctor Wright said as he replaced Danny chart and stood watching Steve’s interaction with his partner. 

“We’re a family, doc. Ohana,” Steve said absentmindedly as he continued his ministrations to Danny.

“That explains the improved readings since you entered the room, Commander. He’s calmed down much more than the sedatives would account for.” Doctor Wright walked up behind Steve and placed his hand on Steve’s right shoulder. “Keep doing what you’re doing, and we’ll keep doing what we’re doing, and just maybe we can avoid having to take anymore drastic measures to keep him alive.”

“What sort of drastic measures are you talking about, doc?” The tension in Steve’s shoulders increase at the doctor’s words. He looked at Doctor Wright waiting for his response.

“Well, if his kidneys don’t pick up soon, we’ll have to bring in the portable dialysis unit. We’re already helping him breathe, and for now his heart is beating just fine. But that could all change really fast. That’s why Suzanne is here, he needs constant care until the danger of Septic Shock passes.” Doctor Wright smiled at the nurse who was still monitoring Danny’s readings and output.

Steve looked back down at his partner, and shook his head. 

“He’s going to be alright, doc. He’ll pull through this. Danny’s a fighter.” 

“I hope you’re right, Commander.”

“Steve. Call me Steve.”

“Okay, well I hope you’re right, Steve, because Danny will have to fight hard to come back from this. Remember what I said earlier? He could get worse, before he gets better. Although I’m hoping he doesn’t.” 

Doctor Wright turned and left, leaving a worried Steve behind to contemplate whether Danny had the fight in him to survive this. If he even wanted to survive after what had happened the previous day. Then Steve realised his thinking was all wrong. Danny would survive this because of Grace. He’d never leave Grace if there was the slightest chance, so of course he’d survive.

The nurse, Suzanne, approached Steve and handed him a bowl of water with a cloth resting in it. 

“Why don’t you help me, help him, by running the dampened cloth over his forehead, face and neck?”

Steve nodded as he took the bowl and placed it next to Danny’s head. He squeezed the cloth out one handed, and sponged Danny’s head and neck, keeping his grip on Danny’s left hand at the same time.

The next hour went by really fast for Steve, as Suzanne, who was a competent nurse, kept him engaged in caring for his partner. But Steve could see that Danny’s readings were not improving. When he asked Suzanne, she was prompt to answer. 

“It’s the infection. We have to give the antibiotics time to kick in, but I’m going to page Doctor Wright. See if he wants to make a change.” 

Doctor Wright arrived moments after Suzanne paged him. 

“What is it Suzanne?” He asked as he entered the room.

“His temperature has gone up half a degree, doctor.” Suzanne handed the doctor Danny’s chart.

“Hmm, alright I’m going to make a change. Here.” He handed Suzanne the chart after writing in it. “Go get those and I’ll wait here.”

Steve was still, periodically, sponging Danny’s face and neck. 

“We’ll get the better of this infection soon, Steve. You’re doing a good job keeping him calm and cooling him.”

“I just wish his temperature would drop.” Steve sighed. “So how long can it stay this high, without causing brain damage?”

“Let’s not worry about that right now. Once we get the new antibiotics hung, I’m going to have the dialysis started. His output has not picked up and I don’t think we can wait any longer.” The doctor moved aside as Suzanne came back in and started to replace the bags of antibiotics with the new ones.

“Suzanne, we’ll start on dialysis right away, so let’s get that set up.” Doctor Wright moved to leave just as Danny started to seize.

Steve stood and stepped back immediately.

Suzanne hit the emergency button at the same time.

“Out, now, Steve,” Doctor Wright ordered. “Take the chair with you, we’ll need the room.” 

Steve grabbed the chair and moved back as more nurses and another doctor rushed into the room.

Once the doorway was clear, Steve pushed the chair out and to the side, collapsing into it as he listened to the frenzied activity taking place in his partner’s room.

Several minutes later most of the new people had left Danny’s room, but Steve stayed where he was. He knew Danny was still alive, because he could hear the sound of the heart monitor as it tracked Danny’s heartbeat. But until Doctor Wright told him he could go back in, Steve figured he’d better wait.

A nurse walked by him pushing a large piece of equipment, and Steve guessed that it was the portable dialysis unit. 

More time past, then the second nurse left followed shortly by Doctor Wright himself. The doctor stopped when he saw Steve. 

“Well, Steve. That was something I’d hoped to avoid.”

“How is he, doc?” 

“Not good. That seizure didn’t help in his recovery.” The doctor ran a hand over his face. “I’m sorry, but if his temperature doesn’t come down soon, we’ll lose him.”

Steve stared at the doctor, swallowing convulsively. He suddenly found it hard to breathe. This couldn’t be happening. They’d found him against all odds, got him to the help he needed, but now they might still lose him? He could lose his partner and best friend? That just couldn’t happen.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time to rack up the guilt Steve's feeling.

Two hours later Steve was once again sitting next to Danny’s bed, holding his hand. Doctor Wright had allowed him back in, once Steve had regained control of himself. He’d been on the verge of a panic attack, something Steve had never had before. 

Danny’s temperature had finally started to come down, about an hour ago, and the dialysis was going well.

It was evening now, and Steve was exhausted. He’d been up well over twenty-four hours and couldn’t help dozing, on and off, as he waited for Doctor Wright to come to check on Danny. The doctor had been coming in every half an hour. The last time Steve had actually seen him smile after studying Danny’s chart.

This time, before he left, Doctor Wright smiled again. 

“He’s doing very well now, Steve. His temperature is down two points, and I think his fever will break soon.” He walked around the bed and looked closely at Steve’s forehead. “I think you should go for a walk, maybe get something to eat. Danny’s out of danger now. He’ll be here when you get back. But first come with me and I’ll replace that dressing on your head.”

Steve really didn’t want to leave. But he needed to update his team and Rachel on Danny’s condition, plus he could do with stretching his legs. So he reluctantly agreed to go with the doctor. Once his head wound was cleaned and redressed, Steve headed to the cafeteria.

He called Rachel first then Chin and Kono, and finally he call Governor Jameson. The food in the cafeteria was not the greatest, but he was hungry. So he grabbed a sandwich and a coffee, and sat down at one of the tables. The view from the window showed a park across from the hospital. Once he was done eating Steve left the hospital and walked over to the park. For the next fifteen minutes he jogged around the different pathways of the park, burning off the pent up energy and anxiety that plagued him. When he was done, he headed back inside and made a beeline for Danny’s ICU room. 

Everything was just as it had been when he’d left half an hour ago, except it wasn’t. He couldn’t quite figure out what was different, everything about Danny looked the same. Then he realised it was the sounds that were different. The ventilator wasn’t doing the usual click whoosh that it’d been doing for hours, now it only made the occasional sound.

Steve looked at Suzanne. 

“What’s going on?”

“We’ve changed the ventilator to assist Danny’s breathing only. Doctor Wright doesn’t what him to become dependent on the machine.” The panicked look on Steve face caused her to carry on. “Its okay, Steve, he can breathe for himself, the machine is just to help him if his O2 stats drop too low.”

Steve approached the bed and resumed his seat, reaching out and taking Danny’s hand again. Danny, who had been moving around restlessly when Steve entered, instantly stilled.

“He missed you, Steve,” Suzanne said as she brushed a stray lock of hair off Danny’s forehead. “He became restless minutes after you left. I tried to take your place and hold his hand, but he could tell the difference. Even sedated he knew it wasn’t you.”

“Yeah?” Steve was surprised. He knew that he and Danny had connected, on many levels, but until that moment he didn’t realise just how connected they’d become. That made the guilt of not listening to Danny so much worse.

Steve dozed after that. It was early morning when Doctor Wright came in and gently woke him.

“Steve. I’m going to remove the ventilator now. Can you leave for a few minutes, please?” As Steve stood, the doctor moved the chair against the wall. “There’s a small waiting room just down the hall. I’ll come and get you when we’re done.”

Steve nodded then turned to leave, throwing one last look at his partner before he left the room, and walked slowly down the hall. Removing the ventilator was a step towards Danny’s recovery. It raised Steve’s hopes that Danny would make it back to his normal, argumentative self, soon. He placed his hand in his pocket and fisted Danny’s badge.

Doctor Wright entered the waiting room several minutes later, but waved Steve back down when he stood to leave. 

“Let’s talk for a few minutes.”

Steve sat back down, his anxiety level, however, shot through the roof. 

“What’s going on, doc?”

“Don’t look so worried, Steve. It’s mostly good news.” Doctor Wright sat in the chair next to Steve before he continued. “The ventilator’s now gone and Danny’s breathing well on his own. I also removed the drain from his leg, although we’ll leave the wound open for now. As you know the dialysis went well, and we now have sufficient output that I don’t think we’ll need to do a second round.”

“So the antibiotics are working?” 

“Yes, his temperature is well down and I’ve listed him as stable. I think that in a day or two, we can consider the ACL surgery.” Doctor Wright paused.

“That’s good doc, but I know there’s something else. What aren’t you saying?” Steve waited, fearing that he already knew where the doctor was going with this.

“His temperature was dangerously high for sometime, Steve. I know you’re aware of what that can mean. But until Danny wakes we won’t know the extent of the damage, or if there’s even been any damage.”

“There won’t be any,” Steve said adamantly as he stood. “Danny will be fine. When will he wake?”

“I’ve lifted his sedation and he should wake in a few hours.” Doctor Wright stood and placed a hand on Steve’s forearm. “I hope you’re right, Steve. You can go back in now.”

Steve nodded at the doctor then hurried back to Danny’s room. He couldn’t even entertain the thought of Danny having any kind of brain damage. That just couldn’t happen. When he entered the room Suzanne was standing over Danny with a cup of ice cubes, running one of them over Danny’s lips.

Steve sat down and watched for a few seconds. 

“Can I help?” 

“Sure, Steve,” Suzanne handed Steve the cup and the cube from her hand. Steve gently rubbed the cube over Danny’s lips. “He’s thirsty, but unconscious. This is a good way of easing his thirst. He can swallow the small amount of liquid that runs down his throat.”

The dawn arrived, with no change in Danny’s condition. Suzanne’s shift was over and she was replaced by Rosie. But Rosie didn’t need to be in constant attendance as Danny no longer required that level of care. Steve had managed to sleep for a while, his head resting on the bed next to Danny’s left hand that he still held within his own.

Chin and Kono arrived, very early, with breakfast and coffee for Steve. They all moved to the small waiting room where Steve explained what had happened overnight, and how Danny was doing now. He ate his breakfast quickly as he didn’t want to leave Danny for long. 

“I’ll go sit with him for a while, Steve.” Kono said. “You need to call Rachel, and the governor.” Kono left to return to Danny’s room.

Steve made the calls, telling Rachel he’d let her know when Danny was moved to a private room so she could bring Grace.

“Go clean up,” Chin told him when his call with the governor ended. “Here, I brought you some clean clothes. There’s a washroom right over there, you don’t have to go far.”

Steve smiled as he took the bag he hadn’t even notice Chin carrying. 

“I won’t be long.”

“I’ll go sit with Danny for a few minutes until you’re ready to come back.”

When Steve came back out, he found Kono sitting waiting for him. 

“He’s looking better, Steve,” she said.

“Yes he is, and he’s going to be fine, Kono.” Steve hugged her as she stood. “Let’s get back in. Then I guess you and Chin better go to headquarters, although the governor said we could stand down for a few days.”

Chin stood as they entered. 

“We’ll come back in a few hours, Steve.

Once Chin and Kono had left, Steve resumed his seat next to his partner’s bed. While he’d been changing and freshening up, Steve had found Danny’s phone in one of his pockets. He’d forgotten all about Chin handing him the phone the day before. It was quiet in the room, so Steve decided to listen to the recordings Danny had made.

The first recording, meant for Grace, brought tears to Steve’s eyes. He’d always known just how much Danny loved his daughter. The recording was further proof of that. The recording meant for him had the tears running down Steve cheeks. He should’ve given Danny a chance to explain that morning. He’d known that as soon as Danny left, but instead of going after him, Steve had let Danny leave. He could’ve prevented this, he could’ve stopped Danny being taken, he’d let his brother down.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it, the final chapter. Enjoy.

It was a couple of more hours before Danny showed signs of waking. The ever vigilant SEAL saw the first signs and was instantly on his feet leaning over his partner, Danny’s left hand still held in his own. Steve’s right hand rested on Danny’s forehead as he spoke. 

“Hey, Danny, ‘bout time you woke up, buddy.”

Danny groaned and his heart rate increased, evidenced by the beeps from the monitor. Slowly a pair of cloudy blue eyes opened and focused on Steve. The swelling around Danny’s left eye had subsided during the night, but there were now a mass of black and blue bruises on that side of his face.

“Hey, welcome back, Danny.” Steve smiled down at his partner relieved when he saw recognition flare.

“St… eve?” Danny licked his lips and tried again. “Not a dream?”

Steve reached over and spooned a couple of ice chips from a cup next to Danny’s bed. 

“Here,” Danny allowed the chips to be put into his mouth. “You dreaming about me now, partner?” Steve smiled.

“Not your partner, last I recall,” Danny sighed as he closed his eyes.

“Hey. Look at me.” Steve put his hand back on Danny’s forehead and waited.

Finally Danny’s eyes opened and he looked up at Steve. 

“You’re my partner, Danny. I’m sorry, about everything. We need to talk, but not until you’re out of the ICU. Okay?”

Danny nodded, but said nothing. His eyes slid closed again as Steve pushed the call button for Rosie.

It was the next morning before Danny was moved to a private room. Once his fever had broken Danny improved rapidly as the infection left his system. Doctor Wright could find no signs of brain damage from the high fever.

Chin and Kono had returned the previous afternoon and Steve had gone home to shower and change. He’d caught a few hours sleep before returning to the hospital in the early evening. Chin was still with Danny as Steve had instructed the cousins that he didn’t want Danny to wake up alone. He felt it was important that Danny knew that his team was there for him, like they should have been two days ago.

Danny slept most of the time, but each time he woke at least one member of Five-0 was with him. He could feel the guilt surrounding each one of them, especially Steve, but he was too tired to make any attempt to resolve what had happened. Steve was right, they needed to talk, but not until he was able to stay awake long enough to have a meaningful conversation.

Doctor Wright came into Danny’s new room right after he was settled. Steve, of course, was already ensconced in a chair over by the window. 

“Good morning Danny. I see your shadow is still with you.”

“Yeah, doc. I can’t seem to shake him. He’s like a bad penny, keeps coming back.” Danny looked over at Steve as he spoke.

“Funny, Danny. You’re a really funny guy.” Steve turned his attention to the doctor. “How’s he doing doc?

“Well, for someone who was so ill just two days ago, I’d say he’s doing fine.” 

“Hey, I am in the room, you know.” Danny looked between the two men.

“Sorry, Danny,” Both men apologised at the same time.

Doctor Wright turned from Steve and gave his full attention to Danny as Steve smiled to himself behind the doctor’s back. His partner was obviously feeling better.

“Danny, I’ve scheduled the surgery for your knee for late afternoon. Then tomorrow morning we can see about getting you up and out of that bed.” 

“Thanks, doc, getting out of bed would be great.” Danny smiled at the doctor. “Does that mean that I can go home soon?”

“Danny, you are incorrigible.” Steve piped up from his seat over by the window. “You only just got out of the ICU.”

“You’ll be with us for a few more days, Danny,” Doctor Wright said. “But now that you’re in a room, you can have more visitors. In fact, there’s someone due here any minute who’s wanted to come and see you for some time, but wasn’t allowed in the ICU.”

“Grace?” Danny breathed. “Grace is here?”

“I spoke to your ex-wife earlier and she said that she’d drop your daughter off.” The doctor checked his watch. “Any minute now, I’d think.”

Danny looked over at Steve, words weren’t necessary. Steve stood and strode from the room.

“Impressive none verbal communication, Danny, although I’m not at all surprised as you knew Steve was with you when you were sedated and unconscious, so the two of you communicating without words, just works.”

“How’d he get you to let him stay with me, doc? He didn’t threaten you did he, because he can be such an animal, sometimes.” 

“No Danny he didn’t threaten me. He got the governor to clear it with administration.” The doctor became serious, suddenly. “He was really worried about you. I’m not sure how he would have reacted if I hadn’t agreed to let him stay.”

Danny had known, on some level, that Steve had been with him. But before he could say anything the door was thrown open and Grace ran into the room ahead of Steve. 

“Danno!” The eight year old ran to the bed and climbed up. But then she immediately calmed and moved slowly up to her father for a hug.

“Rachel will be back for her in an hour, Danny. So make the most of it,” Steve and Doctor Wright turned to leave.

Danny was exhausted, once Grace left, and immediately fell asleep. 

Steve returned to the room, from taking Grace down to her mother, wanting to talk to his partner. What had happened was eating him up and he needed to clear the air, soon. He still didn’t know if Danny was mad at him. Yes he’d listened to the recording, but Danny had thought he was going to die then. Now that he wasn’t maybe he wouldn’t be so forgiving. But when he found Danny asleep he decided to wait.

It was early afternoon when Danny finally woke. Steve was sitting, his feet propped up on the bed, reading a magazine.

“Hey, you’re still here?” Danny asked quietly when he noticed Steve.

“Yeah, where else would I be?” Steve put his feet down and swung around to face his partner as he place the magazine on the nightstand. 

Danny studied Steve for a moment. 

“What happened to your head?” He hadn’t had the chance to ask about the bandage before.

Steve put his hand up to his forehead. 

“This? It’s nothing.” 

“It’s not, nothing, Steven. What happened?” Danny raised the top of his bed so he could see Steve better. “I was only gone for one day. What did you do? And don’t think I didn’t notice the bandage on Kono’s arm yesterday.”

“There may have been an explosion.” Steve put his hand up to stop Danny’s looming rant. “I didn’t cause it. The two men who helped Ahuna kidnap you didn’t want to be taken in by HPD, so they blew themselves up.” Steve swallowed. “I thought we’d lost you then, Danny. Because Ahuna was already dead, and they were the only other people who knew where you were.”

“Why were you even looking for me?” Danny looked away from Steve and studied his leg. “You kicked me out, Steve.” The hurt was there and Danny, try as he might, couldn’t help letting it show. He’d forgiven Steve, back in the cabin, but the feeling of betrayal was still there.

“What? I was looking for you because you’re my partner. Because it’s my fault Ahuna was able to grab you. Because I was stupid enough to think that you would betray me, even when I knew that you never would.” Steve’s eyes were bright with unshed tears, his voice husky. “I should have listened to you, heard you out.” Steve picked up Danny’s left hand. “I’m sorry. You could so easily have died. I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you, Danno.”

Danny looked at Steve and could see the regret, guilt, and other emotions so clearly on display across Steve’s face, and in his eyes. 

“You didn’t lose me Steve. And you couldn’t have stopped Ahuna.” Danny smiled. “I accept your apology, but I already forgave you.”

“Yes, I know. I listened to the recordings you made,” Steve admitted. “I’m sorry you felt that no one was looking for you. That you believed I wouldn’t look out for Grace.” Steve intertwined their fingers. “Danno, I love Grace, I’ll always look out for her, and I’ve come to realise that I love you too, buddy. You’re loud, annoying, and can be obnoxious, but I want you to be my partner, no one else.” Steve pulled Danny’s badge from his pocket and placed it in Danny’s lap.

“Yeah? You do?” Danny looked from the badge to Steve. 

“Yeah, Danny. I’ve kinda gotten used to having you around.” A sly grin suddenly appeared on Steve’s face. “Besides, if you’re not my partner I’d lose the use of the Camaro, and I look good in that car.”

“Idiot.” Danny slapped Steve’s arm with his right hand, as he left was still imprisoned in Steve’s hand. A grimace of pain flashed crossed Danny’s face. “And who said you could listen to my recordings?”

“One was for me, so I didn’t need permission,” Steve countered. “Now, get some rest, your surgery is in a couple of hours. I’ll still be here when they bring you back.”

Steve released Danny’s hand and the injured man lowered his bed and shifted into a more comfortable position. 

“You don’t have to stay you know Steve.” Danny curled the fingers of his right hand around his badge. It felt so good to have it back, to have his partner back. Ahuna had almost succeeded in driving them apart. But in the end Ahuna was dead, and Steve was still his crazy SEAL partner. But now they had a better understanding of each other and if they could get though this, they could get through anything.

“Yes I do, because I promised Grace I’d look after you. So when Doctor Wright releases you you’re not going back to that shitty apartment you call home, until your leg heals.” Steve reached for his magazine.

“Has anyone ever told you that you’re a very bossy Neanderthal?” Danny asked in a sleepy voice.

“Just you Danny, just you,” Steve settled down to reading his magazine as Danny started to snore softly beside him. He was so glad that Danny had decided to forgive him as he really needed his partner, his brother.

The End


End file.
